SIKESTON -- After years of not meeting the state's annual test score targets, Charleston R-1 School District, along with a few other select districts, is working to turn around its low-performing schools following a Virginia university's program.

"The change will be the impact in the students, giving them the best possible education they can get. That's our job," said Lori Scheeter, principal of Hearnes Elementary in Charleston.

She continued: "As educators, we see students failing, and we want to know why they are failing. We have to break it down piece by piece until we figure out why students aren't performing and figure out what we can do."

Charleston is one of five schools in Southeast Missouri asked by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to be a part of the grant-funded project to participate in the University of Virginia's School Turnaround Specialist Program.

The other four Southeast Missouri schools chosen by DESE are Caruthersville, Hayti, Kennett and Senath-Hornersville. Some districts in Kansas City and St. Louis were also selected for the project.

Offered through the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business, the two-year School Turnaround Specialist Program aims to help school districts committed to turning around low-performing schools. The Program consists of a close working relationship between district personnel.

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